Evolution
by Team Ninja Bug
Summary: My first fanfiction! Sokudo the Nincada finally fulfills his lifelong dream of evolving. But now he has a zombie bug shell terrorizing him. What does it want? How can he get rid of it? And why is it always cuddling with him whilst purring creepily?
1. Chapter 1: Ninjas and Zombies

**Title: **Evolution  
**Rating: **T, for Language  
**Genre:** Undecided. Maybe it'll be easier to decide when this story's completed...  
**Summary: **The newly-evolved Ninjask, Sokudo, is terrified of his Shedinja counterpart. His biggest dream was to evolve and now that he has, will he pay the price in the end?  
**Author's Comment: **This is my very first story, so I would very much like _constructive_ _criticism_ (aka, NO FLAMES) and advice. Positive reviews is always good too! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1: Ninjas and Zombies

Evolution is close. He can feel it. The tightening of his exoskeleton, the gradual growth of his wings. Even his rookie ninja skills is sharpening at a much quicker pace. It is great news to him, as he is growing increasing frustrated by his current limitations. Every night, he practices in the hopes that it'll end in his goal. Every day, he goes to sleep disappointed.

But it's different this time. It won't be long now, just one more training session to go, he's sure of it!

Focusing his eyes on his target, Sokudo the Nincada takes a deep breath as he makes sure he's still concealed in the shadows. His victim must never know of his presence until it's too late. He readies his claws before gathering every bit of his speed and charging out.

The target didn't even know what hit it as nothing but a blur charges passed it. The Nincada landing a few yards away, he is still poised from his attack, the training dummy still standing in one piece. A silent second passes before the wooden figure crumbles to the floor in pieces.

Standing proudly on his hind legs, Sokudo looks back over his shoulder as a triumphant smirk grows on his face. That tricky maneuver has been executed perfectly, and he would have gone into a fit of gloating had a massive wave of pain not wash over him.

Crying out, the little insect crumples to the ground, heavy shudders overtaking his body. He scarcely knows what's happening, for the pain is so great. He doesn't even notice as his body begins to glow a blinding white. A cracking sound fills the air and a gasp escapes his mouth as he loses all sensation before regaining it in a flood not a split-second later. He feels very different as he allows his body to move on its own instincts.

He literally steps right out of his skin, his wings feeling massive as they fan out. Finally, the white light disappears in a glorious explosion of stars.

For a long minute, Sokudo keeps his eyes closed, trying to get used to the new feel of his body. When he finally opens his eyes, he sees his vision is much sharper than it ever was as a Nincada. No longer is everything hazy as if shrouded in fog. Looking down, he sees his claws, now gold, and his forearms, now silver.

His eyes are wide in amazement and he looks down at the rest of his body. He is now a slick black color, a ring of gold encircling his abdomen. His hind legs are the same as his forearms, albeit slightly smaller. Turning his head as best he could, he could see his thorax has more golden markings, although he couldn't see the precise pattern. His wings, once stubby and green, is now large, clear, and rimmed with red.

He is a Ninjask, a true master of the ninja arts. His training is now complete...

With a excited cry, he wastes not a second in indulging in his life-long dreams of flight and dashes into the air. Circling at high-speed near the ceiling, he is all but invisible to the naked eye, his species notorious speed obvious in his actions. His shrill voice can still mark his location however, and it is filled with every note of joy the newly evolved cicada has.

"FINALLY! I CAN REALLY FLY! I'M A NINJASK NOW! AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF GROUND-BOUND TORTURE, I FINALLY EVOLVED AND I'M GONNA BE KICKING EVERYONE'S ASS, MOTHERFUCKERS!"

But his excitement is cut off as something catches his eye from the opposite side of the room. Snapping around to confront the intruder, he freezes as he stares at a white halo, and below that is a brown creature that looks like…

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" he shrieks, throwing himself backwards against the wall, his claws sinking into the wood as his wings are rendered useless. The creature across from him doesn't react to his shout or his retreat and simply stares at him…

Then it starts moving forward.

Whimpering, Sokudo presses even tighter against the wall as the creature continues its advance silently, not a twitch of movement coming from its actual body. Sliding down from the wall onto the floor, Sokudo can't take his eyes off the thing, shivering. A black trail of energy lingers behind the monster as if seeping from its back, and it stops just inches from his face.

Beginning to hyperventilate in terror, the newly-molted Ninjask can't even think as he stares into the empty eyes of this husk. It is near-silence for a long minute, Sokudo 's heavy breaths the only thing disrupting the peace from being total. His heart is about to explode from his chest, the edges of his vision growing black as if to focus only on the unknown creature.

Finally, there is movement from the thing, it leaning forward to nuzzle into his neck and chest.

That did it.

Sokudo stiffens considerably, eyes so wide that it looks as though they're going to pop out of their sockets. And with only a soft whimper escaping his throat, the Ninjask falls limp as he loses consciousness, the last thing he hears being its raspy echoing voice whispering into his ear.

"Brooootherrrrr…"

* * *

Light is slowly beginning to return to his mind as he opens his eyes. Blinking heavily, he feels something pressing against him, and it takes a minute before he could make out a deep, throaty purr. His vision sharpening just as his confusion increases, he sees that the creature that nearly gave him a heart-attack is still cuddling with him.

It must have been doing that for hours by now…

Screaming, Sokudo tries to pull himself away only to feel the wall behind him. Reorientating himself, he throws himself off to the side and takes to the air, vanishing from sight before reappearing by the door so he can look back.

The creature stays where it is for a long while before turning to him silently. Black energy is still seeping from its back. Cringing in absolute terror, the Ninjask flies out the training gym, leaving the creature behind as he hurries home.

* * *

_"I don't really write in journals often, or at all for that matter, but this is just too important. I always thought Pokemon who believed in zombies were stupid, crazy, ya know? But now I find myself in what appears to be the beginning of a zombie apocalypse. But it's not the undead in the way you or I might expect, oh no! Instead of rising from the graves of the Bone Yard, it's taking the form of shed husks. I just evolved not too long ago, and being a Bug-type, that meant I had to shed my skin. Well, believe it or not, but the skin I left behind has come to life! And it's following me!"_

A small crash comes from the kitchen and Sokudo cringes involuntarily, glancing in its direction before continuing to write.

_"Although it hasn't shown interest in eating my brains yet, I'm not taking the chance. I tried flying away from it, but no matter where I hide, it keeps finding me! It's in my house right now, although thankfully it seems more interested in exploring than stalking me."_

As if to confirm this, the Ninjask glances over his shoulder, finding that the closed door that stands between him and the creature still remains undisturbed. Taking a deep breath, he turns back to his journal.

_"There's only one thing to do. I have to take it out, hit it in the head or something. I've tried attacking it a couple of times, but my attacks have no effect on it. I'll have to use some kind of weapon, perhaps something from my training. If I don't write any entries beyond this, know that the zombie got me. And if that's the case: my stuff better not be touched or I SWEAR I'll come back as a Haunter simply to kill your ass! ...Wish me luck! :("_

Putting his pen down, he sighs before looking about his room for the perfect weapon. He is used to using only his claws in battle, but he has decent knowledge on how to handle outside tools. Casting his eyes over his collection, he grabs hold of his katana and flies to the door. Unsheathing the sword, he takes a deep breath and opens the door.

Buzzing his wings only at its minimum in order to reduce the sound of his approach, he looks down both hallways before heading carefully towards the kitchen. Peeking into the room from beyond the doorway, he sees the creature peering into a cabinet and he begins stalking towards it, gliding soundlessly for as long as he can before raising his sword for the deadly blow.

But he freezes as the unaware zombie pulls away from the cabinet and turns around distractedly, its back now facing him. Staring, he sees a gaping hole between its stiff wings, the ever present black energy emerging from there. It is beckoning and he feels himself being pulled towards it, his heart skipping a beat as a feeling of weightlessness takes hold of him.

Sensing his presence behind it as the black energy begins to twine around him, the zombie turns to face him, snapping the Ninjask out of the spell. Sokudo hesitates, knowing he is caught red-handed with his katana still held up and ready to strike. He should do it now, while he still had the chance!

But the creature's gaze was unfaltering, boring into his with no emotion within them. Feeling the lump in his throat increase a hundredfold, he offers a sheepish grin, dropping the sword as he tries to bullshit his way out of this mess.

"Hey,Iwasn'ttryingtokillyouoranything! InfactI'mabouttogobackinmyroomrightnow! Kaythanxbye!"

He doesn't even bother trying to see if his words even made sense or even if the creature could comprehend it before turning and flying off in a panic back towards the safety of his room. The creature merely stares after him silently…


	2. Chapter 2: Librarians and Mailmen

**Author's Comment: **Fast update, but I already had this one pre-written, so yeah! :) Thank you,** Toxic-Cyanide **and** beanboy21**, for being the first to fav and/or alert anything I do and for giving this story some amount of your time! It really lifted up my confidence! And of course, thanks to all my other readers who actually went passed the first chapter!

* * *

Chapter 2: Librarians and Mailmen

_"Okay, so trying to kill it didn't exactly go as planned. I would've done it, but something weird happened. I saw a hole in the zombie's back, and... I can't really describe it. It's just a hole, but the black mist comes out of it and when that mist touched me, it was freezing cold. Just take my word for it that it wasn't particularly pleasant. So sneaking up on it won't work and a head-on attack is too risky. _

_Maybe I should learn a bit more on zombies. Maybe there's a better way to get rid of it without too much risk to myself. Death by bug shell is not the way I wanna go. There's a library nearby. Maybe I can do some research. Heh, research... That makes me sound like a nerd. But it's my best chance to learn about the enemy._

_Now the trick is to get away from it long enough to actually DO that research..."_

Closing his journal, Sokudo cautiously flies out his room, keeping an eye out for the zombie. It is nowhere in sight and he lands on the floor, not wanting the sound of his wings to give away the fact that he's sneaking off. He hates being this scared in his own home, but he is completely helpless to stop it. At least for now.

Clumsily, he walks down the hall, finding that terrestrial movement is far more difficult as a Ninjask. But it'll have to do as he slinks silently towards the front door. Reaching for the knob, he freezes as a chill went up his back. Giving a soft whimper, he turns his head to see the zombie staring at him from across the room.

Clearing his throat in a failed attempt to swallow his fear, he speaks softly. "I'm... I'm gonna be gone for a few minutes... Uh... Stay."

Without hesitation, he throws open the door and flies out as fast as his wings could carry him. The zombie merely floats silently before moving slowly towards the door.

Just what is that Ninjask up to?

* * *

A big pile of books thuds heavily on top the checkout desk, earning a blink from the Gardevoir librarian.

"There's no limit to how many of these things I can take, right?" Sokudo mutters, glancing about nervously as if expecting the zombie to appear out of nowhere. That thing always insists on following him everywhere he went and he has no reason to believe that now is gonna be any different.

Looking back and forth between the bug and the books, the librarian clears her throat a bit. "Well, you're only allowed five, so-"

"Look, lady," the Ninjask starts, a note of fear showing even within his irritation. "My job is working as part of the Rogues Guild, so if you're not gonna check these out the legal way, I'm just gonna end up stealing them and you'll never be able to catch me." He shrugs. "The choice is yours, 'cause either one works for me."

At this, the Psychic-type sighs before taking the first of the books. Immediately, she notices a trend in all these books and she glances again at the Ninjask, noting how he is anxiously scanning the place in a rather paranoid fashion.

She couldn't stop a smile growing on her face. "It's not a zombie."

"Huh?" Sokudo grunts as he looks back at her in confusion.

"I'm assuming you only just evolved, right?" she asks, earning a hesitant nod from the bug. A soft laugh comes from her mouth before she carries on. "That bug shell following you isn't a zombie."

"It isn't?" Sokudo chirps in surprise.

"No, it's a ghost."

"Oh, well, that makes everything so much better!" Sokudo hisses sarcastically, crossing his arms.

"I mean a Ghost-_type_. It's a Shedinja, a Pokemon like the rest of us. It's perfectly natural and nothing to be afraid of."

"Nothing to be afraid of?! That thing is creepy as all hell! I need to get rid of it, so anything you have on that zombie-ghost _freak_, I need, right now! So hand it over, bitch!" he demands, tapping a claw on the desk as emphasis. Shaking her head at his rude behavior, she opens a file cabinet and rummages through the papers.

Pulling a small packet out, she hands it to him. "This has all the general information on Shedinja. I won't guarantee it will help you 'get rid of it', but it's the only thing we have."

Sokudo eagerly snatches the papers, looking them over before glancing at the file cabinet. "You have every Pokemon in that thing?"

"Yup."

"Including my species?"

"Mm-hm."

"What does it say about me?"

"Only how annoying your kind is, and that hearing your voice for more than thirty minutes will give me a headache. So if you could be so kind as to leave, that would be appreciated." the Gardevoir states calmly as retaliation for the 'bitch' comment earlier.

Snorting with disdain, Sokudo begins to turn before unexpectedly snatching a book and taking off out the door.

"HEY! THIEF!"

Sokudo snickers as he begins heading home, looking over the book he stole before throwing it over his shoulder with no further interest. He got what he needed and he can't wait to get down to business. Sure it means being stuck in the house with that thing again, but that is a small price to pay for finally getting rid of it.

He is about at the halfway point when he notices something in his flight path. His eyes widening, he gives an unexpected yell and forces his wings to come to a halt as a familiar brown creature floats before him. Hovering in terror, he knew the zombie, -no!-, Shedinja has indeed been following him with great intent. Now that it found him, it just stares and he gulps, already shaking heavily.

"I'mheadinghomenow! Bye!" He dashes around it, urging his wings to careen him headlong back towards his house at full speed. Followed slowly by the silent husk...

* * *

_"I hate libraries..._

_Anyway, I just got back home and I've been reading this stupid little packet that bitch gave me. Apparently, the zombie isn't a zombie and is a Shedinja. She says it's natural, but I call bullshit. That thing is too creepy to be any kind of natural! _

_For example, that weird feeling I wrote about in my last passage? Turns out, it was trying to steal my soul! 8( That thing would've killed me if it hadn't turned back around! So not only is it too scary to have around, but it's way too dangerous! What if I accidently look into that hole again?!_

_But there is some hopeful news for once. Since this thing's a Pokemon, that means I might be able to reason with it. Maybe I should try to talk to it and convince it to leave my house and harass somebody else. The paper says that Shedinja are pretty smart, I guess, so"_

He stops for a second as the front door knocks and he quickly tries to finish his passage so he could answer it.

_"talking sense into it shouldn't be too difficul"_

A piercing scream rings through the air and the Ninjask jumps. Against his better judgement, he flies out his room to the front door, only to freeze in pure and utter horror. The Raticate mailman is staring at the Shedinja's back, the black mist engulfing him almost completely.

Within seconds, the rodent abruptly drops dead as the mist retracts completely into the husk's back. The Shedinja purrs as a shudder passes through its body and the mist reappears to trail after it as it resumed its casual explorations of the living room as if nothing happened.

Witnessing this, Sokudo barely manages to gather his wits enough to zoom back into his room. Taking his pen, he frantically scribbles all over the page to cross out his in-progress entry and tosses the pen aside. Grabbing a red marker, he writes in some new words over it.

**_"OMG IT JUST KILLED THE MAILMAN! AND IT WAS PURRING! IT'S GONNA KILL ME! IT'S A MONSTER! WE'RE ALL GONNA_ _DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"_**

With another whimper, his head falls onto his desk, his face buried in his journal. And to think, he plans to talk to this thing! How he hopes it won't end with him sharing that rat's fate...

* * *

He has to do it, for his own sanity and peace of mind. It is nightfall and his now diurnal habits is beginning to kick in again. He hasn't gotten any amount of sleep ever since he evolved and it is now starting to have an effect. But he doesn't want to sleep, not with that thing floating around. Even if it isn't going to hurt him, it's still a disturbing thought when he imagines that thing watching him all through the night.

A shudder courses through his body at that thought and it takes every bit of his strength to head for the living room.

There it is, sorting through his stuff with its black energy. Clearing his throat to catch its attention, he carefully flies a bit closer before halting a couple yards away, instinctively wanting to keep his distance. It is staring at him silently, almost expectantly, before beginning to advance on him. Immediately, he backs up right into a wall and whimpers as the Shedinja begins cuddling against him again. Its hollow purrs are already starting to rise from within its body.

Trying his very hardest not to utterly panic, Sokudo quickly flies up over the creature to avoid its snuggling before facing it again, quickly speaking his words before his fear-filled mind forgets.

"Hey...uh..." His voice snags a bit and he gives an awkward cough. "I n-need to talk to you... about something..." The Shedinja is once again motionless and silent. He takes this as a cue to carry on. "Look... Uh... Y... How do I say this...? You're creepy as fuck, okay? And I would like it a lot... if you can get your ass out of my house..."

Again, the creature is silent, although he did notice that more black mist than usual is beginning to seep from its back. He didn't know what that meant, or if it even meant anything at all, so he continues with as firm a voice as his terror would allow.

"Seriously, um... there's lots of other Pokemon y-you can bother... And a whole world for you to explore... So... um... yeah, get out."

Again nothing but more black mist. The Shedinja's gaze is unfaltering and it speaks not a single word in response. But its position is clear from its lack of compliance and Sokudo finally breaks under its unnerving stare.

"Nevermind! You can stay as long as you want! Just stop staring at me!" Without further ado, he retreats back into his room.

A soft growl finally emerges from the husk's throat...


	3. Chapter 3: Separation Anxiety

**Author's Comment: **No reviews so far, but I'm trying to not let that put me down. I'd like to thank **Something dictionary related** for adding this story to his/her Alerts and to the people reading this far in!

* * *

Chapter 3: Separation Anxiety

_"I don't think I have much of a choice anymore._

_The Shedinja has shown no interest in moving off to harass another Pokémon. It just keeps trying to cuddle with me every time it sees me and whenever I bring up the issue at claw, well, I think I'm only succeeding in pissing it off, 'cause sometimes I can hear it growling and muttering to itself when its alone... It's made it perfectly clear that it's not going anywhere, so I have to be the one to leave. It'll follow me, no doubt, but I can fly faster than it. A life on the run might not seem ideal, but I can't think of anything else! I've already spoken to my boss about moving and he seemed pretty okay about it, so yeah..."_

Sokudo pauses his writing to look through the Shedinja packet again. Reviewing some interesting information concerning this thing's Wonder Guard abilities, he thinks a bit on how to incorporate them into his plans. Arriving to a hopeful conclusion, he takes the pen again and resumes writing.

_"Anyway, I'm thinking that if I do settle down somewhere, it'll be some place with frequent bad weather. Maybe a spot near the desert with lots of sandstorms. Or a spot in the mountains, y'know, with blizzards and hail and stuff. Yeah, those aren't good places for a Ninjask like me, but at least it'll offer me some protection. I'm also looking into getting some lessons on a move called Aerial Ace. Apparently, it's one of the attacks that can hit that ghost bug and I could make use of it if it does happen to find me again._

_I'll just keep finding new places to live, new jobs to work in. I'm not sure if keeping my current employment as a Rogue will be practical with all my moving around. Maybe I should look into being a ninja-for-hire or something. I'm sure other ideas will come to me as I travel. So far, the only thing I know for a fact is that I'm leaving tonight. No need slowing myself down with heavy packing. Only the essentials._

_I'll try to keep this updated as much as possible, but for now, I have to work on packing some food and water."_

Closing the journal, the Ninjask sighs, his wings drooping wearily. How long has it been since he's had a good night's sleep? He has found himself drifting off several times, barely enough to keep him functioning. At least he'll be able to catch up on it soon, right after he loses this Shedinja. He wonders how persistent it'll be in its pursuit of him. Hopefully, it'll finally get the message and give up. Yawning, Sokudo drearily flies out of his room towards the kitchen, grabbing a small carrying bag on the way out.

The journal lay undisturbed for a long minute before a stream of black energy surrounds it, easing it open and flipping through the pages...

* * *

"Okay, I think I have everything I need..." Sokudo whispers to himself as he puts the last Big Apple into the bag. Closing it securely, he glances around for the Shedinja, finding the coast is clear for now. Taking a deep breath, he heads for the living room. Almost home-free! He can already feel the sense of freedom rising in his chest. But it seems as if he's gone as far as he could, for he jolts back a bit when he sees that the husk is there. In front of the door. Staring at him. Growling.

His heart immediately skips a beat and it takes his every bit of power to speak up, his voice soft. "Hey... I'm... leaving for a bit..."

"You're not leaving me," the Shedinja whispers through its growls and Sokudo stiffens. How did it- "You're not abandoning me."

"I..." For a second, the Ninjask didn't know what to say as he wonders how much this shell knows. "I'm not... I'll be back."

"You're not coming back!" the Shedinja snaps at him, its voice distorting into a more demonic shriek as the black mist begins to writhe the air around it. "You're trying to abandon me! I won't let you!"

Shuddering in terror beyond any he's felt before, Sokudo tries to speak again, but nothing comes out. He knows what happened. This thing read his journal. All this time his room has been his sanctuary, where the Shedinja was decent enough to leave him at peace. But now his inner sanctum has been invaded, his secrets revealed. He fears what this thing will do...

"You're not leaving," it hisses softly before its voice takes on a more child-like tone, whimpering as if its previous anger didn't exist. "I've come into this world, for the very first time, eager for a body and a family to call my own... And you had provided me with both, brother. I try to express my gratitude to you..." Its voice seems to shake a bit as did its body, before the rage begins to rebuild at a disconcerting pace. "But again and again you reject me. You try to abandon me, you try to harm me, you try to kill me! And every time, I look passed it all, thinking you only need time to adjust to my presence. Thinking that you'll eventually come to accept me and love me!"

It begins to advance on him, the black energy now seeping from every open space within the shell. His heart racing, Sokudo tries to retreat, tries to fly away, but he can't move. Is it his fear that prevents the motion? Or something else...?

"But no more," Now it is speaking in that demonic snarl again, sending chills through the living cicada. "I have had enough and I will no longer tolerate your insolence! You're not leaving. You're _not_ abandoning me. And I will make sure that you will never even THINK of doing such a thing again!"

Sokudo could do nothing but watch in pure horror as the enraged creature charges up a Shadow Ball...

* * *

The Rogue leader, Gunpowder the Gabite with a pirate's hat, sorts through some papers in order to do some last minute work before turning in for the night. He really should have gotten all this done, but call him a bit of a procrastinator. At least he's almost finish though; hopefully, nothing else will turn up-

And there it is! The distinct ringing of the bells alerting him of the door opening. Such cues never fail, it seems. With a sigh, he looks over to the visitor and hesitates. It is the Ninjask from earlier, except...

Sokudo winces as he lands, or moreso collapses, onto Gunpowder's desk. His beaten body shudders as he looks up at his leader, his eyes pleading but remaining silent as the Shedinja follows right up after him. Looking back at the carapace, the Ninjask cringes when it growls and he gathers his strength to speak. "H...hey, G-Gunpowder... I..." His words chokes a bit and he closes his eyes as if to block out the ever increasing snarls coming from the husk behind him. "I ch-changed my mind... I'm staying here after all."

He tries to hold in a whimper at saying such words as he didn't want to appear weak in front of his leader, but it escapes anyway. Gunpowder merely blinks, just looking at the insect's multiple burns, slashes, and bruises. He swear he sees a drip of blood coming from the Ninjask's mask-like mandibles. How could he not ask? "Wha' happened to ya, matey?"

Sokudo winces again, his tone forcibly cheerful. "Oh, y'know... Just... got into a fight on the way here... Had it coming, really... I'm fine though..." He tries to make it obvious that he's lying as he keeps casting his desperate gaze towards the Shedinja, but he isn't sure if the Dragon-type got the message, for the Gabite merely nods hesitantly.

"Alright, I be keepin' yer papers on file then." He seems about to add something else, but shakes his head before changing his statement. "I ought t'be callin' a doctor fer ya, so-"

"No," the Shedinja interrupts firmly, clearly not liking the prospect of anyone getting near its Ninjask. "He's mine, so I'll be the one taking care of him."

Unfortunately for Sokudo, Gunpowder doesn't question this further, for it is a typical thing for a Shedinja to say. The tormented Pokémon is starting to lose hope here and with a pained groan, he opens his wings and forces himself to fly out the door, followed very closely by the husk. He knows that such proximity would be the norm from now on, as the ghost had explicitly forbidden him from flying up ahead of it. Not like he'll be able to do such a thing anyway. One set of wings is beating the air half-heartedly, the other barely at all. It is hardly enough to keep him airborne and gives his flight what could only be described as a harsh limp.

A limp his body can't stand anymore and he feels his wings give out before he falls to the ground with a grunt. The Shedinja merely stares down at him, and it is clear from its persistent growls that it is not amused nor concerned.

"Get up, you pathetic weakling!" it snaps, having no further patience for him. Hearing this and just about reaching his limit, Sokudo feels a wave of anger sweep over his body and he glares harshly at the ghost.

"Don't c-call me that..." he hisses as defiantly as he could muster, his fear beginning to dwindle slowly as a result. "I wouldn't be like this... if it wasn't for you!"

"We wouldn't have had to come to this if you hadn't tried to run away!"

"Dammit, why're you so friggin' clingy!?" Sokudo shrieks. "Go find some other Ninjask, and leave me ALONE!"

"The other Ninjask mean nothing to me," the Shedinja answers. "They are not my brother. You are."

At this, Sokudo feels his glare darken and his response comes out with his own low snarl, his claws digging into the earth. "I'm _not_ your brother..."

Almost instantly, more black mist pours from its back and eyes as it shrieks in rage. The once-subsiding fear arose again within the Ninjask and he can't help but cringe back as the hostile husk flies into his face.

"Don't you DARE say that to me again, you arrogant insect!" it hisses demonically. "You are my brother, whether you like it or not! Understand?!"

It takes Sokudo every bit of his will power to overcome the fear enough to hold a glare into those literally fuming eyes. A soft growl forces itself out of his throat as he whispers softly, but clearly. "Fuck you."

Not even a second passes before Sokudo cries out in pain, covering his face as he pulls away. Whimpering, he takes a minute to recover before removing his claw to see blood coating the limb, as well as the residual black energy left from the attack. He looks back at the Shedinja still staring him down with another Shadow Claw ready to lash out at an instant's notice.

"Say it again." it whispers menacingly.

Sokudo forces himself to give another glare, but says nothing in response. He knows that one more hit could very well knock him unconscious and he would rather not render himself so vulnerable to this psychotic entity. Casting his eyes away, he lays his head onto the ground silently and this seems to appease the angry spirit, for it backs off. The injured Ninjask feels his anger slowly ease away to be replaced with the feeling of helpless acceptance. There was no getting out of this situation, so why try anymore? It's only going to earn him more pain. Closing his eyes, another whimper choked from his throat as he attempted to ignore his agony.

After a few minutes of simmering down from its own rage, the Shedinja once again speaks up, its voice a bit more gentle. "Push yourself, brother. We're almost home."

"Don't rush me..." Sokudo muttered dully, having no more fight in him. Luckily, the Shedinja didn't insist and instead busies itself with scanning their surroundings. After about ten minutes, Sokudo forces himself onto his claws and starts stumbling towards home, the Shedinja possessively hanging over him every step of the way...


	4. Chapter 4: Treatment

**Author's Comment: **Sorry this took longer than usual, I ran into some problems that should be fixed by now... But yay! I got my first review! Thank you so much, **frankie. santoriello**, for taking the extra time to give your thoughts and share your feelings! It's certainly very encouraging to hear that my first ever story is decent in terms of the writing (I got the creepiness down, it seems!), and I can only hope to get better! And of course, thanks to the anonymous readers who are sticking with this story this far in! I hope you too are enjoying the experience! :)

* * *

Chapter 4: Treatment

When one thinks of the word 'home', 'prison' is usually not synonymous with it.

It's been about a week since the Shedinja attacked him, and Sokudo hasn't left his home even once since that night. All he can do is lay in his bed, trying his best to recover from his injuries. As it turns out, the new-to-this-world Ghost-type knows next to nothing on how to take care of living Pokémon like him, and the Ninjask's health is beginning to suffer the consequences. He has tried several times to go to a doctor, but the creature inhabiting his house refuses to let him leave for anything, apparently paranoid that he is going to try to abandon it again. So he had to rely on his own knowledge and his basic First Aid kit, and plenty of rest.

But even his sleep is not a release, for the pain is strong enough to be felt even in his dreams. The first time he legitimately dozed off in a deep slumber, the Shedinja had wasted no time waking him right back up in a panic, having thought that he was dying. It took a good two hours to explain to the shed that he needed this state of unconsciousness to get better and to convince it to leave him be whenever he was resting like this. The Shedinja reluctantly agreed, for the most part...

It is evening of the sixth day and Sokudo's currently only been sleeping for about an hour when the Shedinja begins to nudge him urgently. Blinking in a daze as he stirs, he looks up at the creature that has caused all this torment, feeling practically nothing inside. His fear, his anger, his hopelessness has mostly dried out by now and he barely even notices this apathetic change in his attitude. But he did notice the feeling of nausea welling up within his stomach for reasons unknown. In fact, everything looks hazier than usual and he swears the room feels hotter than he last remembered...

"Why were you making strange noises?" the Shedinja asks him, its voice remaining in a child-like tone as it learned that caused its Ninjask the least amount of stress. "They disturb me."

At first, Sokudo didn't understand what the husk is talking about before giving a hacking cough, the husk jerking back with a hiss at the sound. Realizing that this is the strange noise the ghost is alluding to, Sokudo grunts as he glances down his body. "I'm... I'm sick..." His voice sounds thick and dull, staring at his injuries. The other day, several of his open wounds had gotten infected, and now it must be spreading through the rest of his body. An involuntary shudder goes through his very core, despite how hot he is feeling.

"Sick?" the Shedinja mutters as if pronouncing a new word. "What does that mean?"

Coughing again, Sokudo attempts to shift onto a cooler patch of his bed, panting to cool himself off. His voice is still dull although he tries to make it communicate his irritation. "It means that tiny little things got in my body... and is completely fucking me up." He could tell this explanation only served to confuse the shed more and he forces out a growl in the hopes of finally showing just how serious the situation is getting. "It... it could kill me!"

"No!" the Shedinja exclaims in a panic, whimpering softly to itself. "You can't die!"

"I don't exactly have a choice..." Sokudo hisses pointedly. "I need proper treatment... I need to see a doctor!"

At once, the Shedinja snarls as is typical whenever the other insect brings up the subject. "We don't need a doctor. I can take care of you just fine!"

"Just fine?!" He casts another glance at his sickened body. "CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO ME?!" Sokudo snaps at the shell, his fevered suffering pushing his outburst. "YOU did this! YOU hurt me and YOU got me sick! Even when you KNOW I'm dying, you STILL refuse to get me help!" He coughs again, his claws digging into his bed as he glares at the Shedinja. "If you want to be my brother so badly, then start acting like one and get me a doctor..."

This got the shed to go silent for a long time, clearly feeling the painful jab and uncertain of what to do. Its brother is in horrible condition and it's obvious that what it's doing to help isn't working, but... "They'll hurt you. I don't want those strangers getting near you, hurting you."

"I won't lie and say they won't... But them hurting me is a good thing," Sokudo mutters sternly. "And really..." He forces out a scoff. "The pain they'll cause me is nothing compared to the damage YOU have already done." Giving yet another cough, the Ninjask lays his head on his pillow, waiting for the Shedinja to respond. It is quiet for a few minutes, soft whimpers coming from it.

"You... you really are going to die... aren't you?" it asks softly, a shameful whine echoing in its hollow body.

"If I don't get some real help?" Sokudo mutters in an equally soft voice, not even looking at the ghost. "It's practically guaranteed." Another minute passes and he glances at the husk. "Just tell me the fate you have for me, 'cause if you're _still_ not gonna let me see a doctor..." He shakes his head hopelessly at the thought. "You might as well just kill me now and save me the suffering..."

"No," it continues to whisper sorrowfully. "I can fix this... I'll get you help, brother..."

* * *

The knock that comes to the door is incredibly urgent and Remedy the Audino hurries to the door as she didn't like to keep her clients waiting. Swinging it open, she gasps a bit upon seeing what it is: a heavily-wounded Ninjask, practically unconscious from the trip here, and a Shedinja, whom instinctively growls at her as it hovers by its companion possessively. She has seen plenty of sick and injured Pokémon, but this is probably one of the worst cases she's seen and she wastes little time in acting.

"Dr. Quaak!" she shouts loudly over her shoulder. "We have an emergency!"

She steps closer, about to kneel down to pick up Sokudo when the Shedinja throws itself between them with a shriek. The black mist is practically writhing. "Stay away from my brother!"

"Vhat's going on here?" A Golduck with a headband and plastic gloves comes up behind the Audino, his sharp eyes regarding their visitors. The Shedinja screeches even louder at the other Pokémon's appearance, its piercing vocalizations waking its unconscious sibling.

"... H... Help..." is all the Ninjask could mutter, although it is lost in the husk's threats.

"Shhhhh!" Remedy tries to soothe the protective insect. "It's okay."

"You're going to hurt him!" the Shedinja growls, quieting its shrill cries only a little. And it only falls silent when it hears Sokudo force out his own growl.

"Shut up..." he snaps at the shed. "Let... let... them..." He pulls himself closer to Remedy, the Shedinja reluctantly backing down, but continuing to hiss at the doctors. The Audino gently transports the injured Pokémon inside, the Shedinja following closely as the Normal-type carefully places the injured ninja on the examination table.

"Horribly infected," Dr. Quaak utters at a mere glance of those injuries, seemingly unimpressed. "Zese injuries are aged." He casts a harsh glare at the snarling Shedinja. "Vhy you no bring him sooner?"

"Dr. Quaak," Remedy starts. "We can save the questions for later; we have to focus on helping the little guy." As she begins taking his vitals, Dr. Quaak boredly begins cleaning the open wounds, Sokudo trying his best to hide a wince as he knows how the accompanying ghost will react to his show of pain. But such stoic behavior becomes much more difficult as the Golduck begins tending to the infected injuries and the Ninjask can't keep in a cry, automatically trying to pull away.

This prompts the already-agitated Shedinja to act, especially when the doctor tries to keep the cicada still. With another shriek, the empty shell lashes out with a Shadow Claw, Dr. Quaak barely able to dodge in time.

"Stop it!" Sokudo reprimands harshly, cringing at his own outburst. "Stop... Let them work..."

"They're hurting you..." the Shedinja whimpers, to which Remedy speaks up in reassurance.

"And we don't want to hurt him, trust us," she starts gently. "But it's the only way to make him better. I know it's hard for you to ignore your brother's torment, but you need to stay calm and tell yourself that everything will be okay, that we'll help your brother make a full recovery."

"Or," Dr. Quaak adds. "You can leave. Your choice."

"I won't leave him," the Shedinja hisses firmly. "Never leave him." As if to emphasize this, the husk gently cuddles against Sokudo's side and he winces. But he doesn't push the other bug away as he usually would if he can't fly off, knowing this will calm the ghost down. And indeed it does as the Shedinja pulls away noticeably more compliant. The doctors takes the opportunity to resume their administrations, the Ghost-type beginning to growl again as Dr. Quaak continues cleaning out the infected wounds to Sokudo's obvious discomfort. But the shed forces itself not to interfere.

"Let's get some local anesthetic," Remedy tells her comrade after a few minutes. "We can stitch him up after your done cleaning."

Dr. Quaak merely grunts as he finishes up the last open gash and he begins preparing the anesthetic, expertly rubbing it into and around the wounds.

"What's that?" the Shedinja asks suspiciously.

"Anesthetic," Remedy answers gently. "It'll help relieve his pain, so closing his wounds won't be too uncomfortable." She turns to the Golduck. "Are you done?" He nods softly and she looks to the Ninjask. "How do you feel?"

Sokudo didn't answer for a minute before murmuring softly. "The pain... it's mostly gone now..."

"That's good," the Audino states, preparing the needle and thread, much to the displeasure of the Shedinja.

"What's that for?!" it exclaims, a note of fear in its voice.

"Ve're gonna close ze vounds, so calm down." Dr. Quaak mutters before Sokudo turns his attention to the husk.

"Don't... don't interfere..." he growls as firmly as he could manage. The husk whimpers as it watches the stitching process, shivering whenever it sees the needle pierce its sibling's flesh. But Sokudo doesn't seem to feel much of anything of it, only flinching slightly at what little sting he did detect. It takes a decent amount of time for all the wounds to get stitched up and the Ninjask shifts a bit as the doctors delicately begin wrapping his injuries in bandages.

"We can go home now." the Shedinja states, having had enough of this place and these strange procedures, and its irritation begins to spark up when Remedy shakes her head.

"He's still sick and in critical condition. We'll be keeping him here until he's at least stable," She can tell that the Shedinja is about to object and she quickly adds more. "You're more than welcome to stay, if it'll make you feel better. But it's _vitally_ important that he stays here for at least a few days."

"I'll stay..." Sokudo grunts, looking up at the doctors as he ignores the ghost as best he could. "W... what's gonna h-happen now?"

"We'll get you settled on a bed so you can rest. We'll have to insert an IV, so we can get your body some fluids, painkillers, and anti-biotics. So let's try to get you situated." With the help of Dr. Quaak, she gets the Ninjask off the examination table and takes him into another room with the Shedinja trailing closely after them. Settling the insect on the bed in question, the Golduck wastes no time nonchalantly preparing the IV.

"Th..." Sokudo clears his throat as he gets himself as comfortable as he can manage. "Thank you..." He rarely ever thanks anyone for anything, but he knows it's the least he could do in this particular situation.

"It's not a problem, sweetie," Remedy chirps in a motherly tone, taking the IV's tube and needle. Carefully, she inserts and secures the device into his arm and Sokudo relaxes into the blankets and pillow. Closing his eyes, he tries to fall asleep before his pain comes back and the doctors make last minute adjustments before shooing themselves out and leaving the two in peace.

Glad to be rid of the strangers, the Shedinja keeps its attention on its brother, its worry overwhelming it. Not even its curiosity of the many new objects around it can tamper its concern and it floats towards its sibling, just watching. It hopes its Ninjask will be okay soon, so they can leave this uncomfortable place forever. But Sokudo certainly seems more at ease in that bed and looks so peaceful in that strange sleeping state. It gives a soft reassuring purr, to both itself and its brother, before cuddling up to the recovering Ninjask.

Soon...

Soon...


	5. Chapter 5: Stroke of Luck

**Author's Comment: **Thanks for the second review, **frankie. santoriello**, it's good to know how much you love this! I shall continue! :D

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Chapter 5: Stroke of Luck

"Okay, you're free to go," Remedy tells the Ninjask with a warm smile as she leads her clients to the door. Sokudo had made a smooth and quick recovery, much to his relief. Although he kept himself calm throughout the treatment period, he always had the troubling thought that he had gotten help too late. The Shedinja certainly seems relieved as well, eager to return home so it'll just be it and its brother again. Opening the door for them, the Audino hands Sokudo a bottle of pills, as well as a paper instructing its use. "Make sure you keep taking these anti-biotics, and come back if you have any further complications."

"I will," He casts a slight glare at the shell. "I'll make sure of it."

Flying out of the hospital with a final wave good-bye, Sokudo has to force himself to stay by the husk and not to fly off. He knows he isn't prepared to make a run for it and that the chances of the Shedinja 'punishing' him again would be too great. So he begrudgingly keeps his flight nice and slow, letting the ghost set the pace on their journey home. He tries to distract himself by reading the paper Remedy gave him, hardly noticing that the sun's rays are beginning to dim as grey clouds drifts before it.

It looks like a storm is beginning to build up from those clouds, the wind picking up behind them. Sokudo isn't too bothered as he puts the paper away to keep it from being blown out of his claws and he focuses his eyes towards the direction of home. But he startles as he hears a sudden hiss from the ghost beside him. Flinching, he wonders what he did wrong and he casts a glance at the displeased Shedinja. To his relief, he sees that it isn't him it's hissing at, but the sky.

"Something wet fell on me!" it growls, flinching as another droplet from the sky strikes its face.

"It's rain, dumbass," Sokudo mutters sharply, his heart calming. "It's normal."

The concept of water falling randomly from the sky being normal is mind-boggling to the Shedinja, whom continues to follow its Ninjask as the rain begins to build. It watches the raindrops, its previous irritation replaced with fascination. Just where is it all coming from? The clouds? The very sky itself?

A bright flash shoots through the sky and both the insects startle, the Shedinja cringing as a loud rumble follows soon after.

"What's that?!" the husk asks, not used this strange phenomenon at all.

"Lightning," Sokudo mutters, looking up at the sky worriedly. "I'm walking. It's too dangerous to fly in a thunderstorm." Sure enough, the Ninjask wastes little time in landing on the ground, wincing only a bit from the lingering pain still haunting him. But it is bearable and he starts walking towards home, the Shedinja following. The shed continues to watch the sky, cringing with each flash of lightning and rumble of thunder. It did not like this at all, especially when the wind begins to pick up again.

"Brother, this worries me..."

Sokudo only grunts, choosing to ignore his shed from this point on. It clearly adores his attention and maybe if he deprives it of that, it'll at least shut up for the rest of its life. And maybe it'll stop with those creepy cuddles, and maybe even leave for a more affectionate 'brother'. Wishful thinking, he knows that's what it is, but he can't help himself. And he was willing to keep to that wish when a flash of lightning strikes directly overhead, hitting a tree. This causes the trunk near the canopy to snap and the massive plant falls... right towards Sokudo.

"Brother! Look out!" the Shedinja screams, wasting no time in tackling the Ninjask out of the way. Sokudo grunts as he hits the ground, instinctively curling up and covering his head. A shriek sounds behind him and he feels the rumble of the tree's impact with the ground. Pieces of debris begin to strike and bounce off his exoskeleton, none large enough to hurt, thankfully. Then there is silence.

Peeking up cautiously, the Ninjask looks about before glancing behind him. The tree had missed him by a mere few feet, but...

"B...brother..." He sees the Shedinja pinned to the ground, a large heavy branch lying across its back, the projecting branchlets hooking into its wings. The ghost whimpers as it tries to pull free, but it is stuck firmly where it is. Its voice is pleading and broken as it regards its kin. "Brother... help me... please..."

Sokudo hesitates for a minute before stepping towards it slowly. He examines the branch holding it down and pokes the husk a bit. This got another whimper, and the ninja speaks in a quiet, emotionless voice. "You can't get out yourself?"

"No..." the Shedinja answers softly, making a few more efforts to pull free. "I can't... It hurts, brother... Too much... I... I think it's... It's crushing me... Help, please... I don't wanna die... I just got here... I don't wanna go back... please..."

Sokudo glances around as if to look for assistance, but he himself just sits there. Turning his attention back to the husk, he considers his options carefully. This thing caused him so much pain and torment ever since he evolved, but it also just saved his life. It could've died taking the tree's wrath, but it still saved him without a second thought. Nobody has ever made such a sacrifice for him before...

Immediately, he gives a whoop of glee before flying up into the air and looping and dancing happily. "I'M FREE! I'M FREE FROM YOU, YOU PSYCHOTIC **FREAK**! THANK YOU, MOTHER NATURE!"

"Brother! No! Don't..." But its horrified cries falls on deaf ears as the Ninjask flies off without even a backwards glance, his joyful laughs still echoing through the air. Whimpering, the Shedinja feels a crushing feeling that isn't from the tree and it makes one last desperate wriggle to get free. It manages to move an inch for all its efforts before it tires itself out. And yet, all it can think about is its brother. "Don't... don't leave me... please..."

Then all goes black as unconsciousness finally takes hold.

* * *

_"This is possibly the greatest day of my life!_

_The creature is gone, finally gone! I finally managed to get rid of it and I've never been so happy in my entire life! We were just getting out of the hospital (long story, don't ask), when sweet, sweet karma came knocking in the form of this big-ass tree! It fell on that stupid Shedinja and now its trapped forever! With any luck, it'll go back to where it came from!_

_Although I'll admit, there is something inside me telling me that I should help it... It got stuck under the tree because it saved me from the same fate... It was begging me to help... As if it thought I would just forget all the pain it caused me! Because of it, I never got to enjoy being a Ninjask, never got to enjoy life as I was meant to! And now that it's gone, some small part of my mind's insisting I feel bad for it?! It deserved what it got, and I hope that tree crushes it into oblivion!_

_Cruel? Maybe, but justice is a cruel bitch sometimes! _

_I'm gonna leave it at that for now, I got so many things I've been meaning to do! The storm's starting to settle down and I'm gonna take the opportunity to fly through the clouds and drink tree sap! You ever tried tree sap? Me neither, but I hear it's very good! _

_Catch ya later! 8D"_

Dropping the pen unceremoniously on the desk, Sokudo throws his claws in the air with an excited cry, darting right out the chair. Flying around his house in pure unmitigated glee, he makes a mess of the place, but he didn't care; he can always clean it back up later... maybe... Zooming out of his house, he pushes his wings as fast as they can go, enjoying the speed and the feel of the wind flowing over his aerodynamic body. Looking up at the still grey sky, he changes course to fly straight into the clouds.

Not even the chill of the condensation building up on his exoskeleton could squander his celebratory flight. Diving in and out of the clouds, he builds up more altitude before closing his wings and allowing himself to fall back towards the earth, laughing the whole way down. Opening his wings at the right moment, he swoops back up just before he hits the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dirt as he uses the momentum to glide up and over the bordering forest of his village.

Panting with excitement at his plunge, he feels his speed slow as the momentum dies down and he lands on a tree. Wasting little time, he begins gnawing at the trunk's bark to get at the sap. There is most definitely a proper technique to getting his brunch, but he doesn't care at the moment as he spits out the bitten chips and watches with glistening eyes as sap rose to the surface.

No meal has ever tasted better, the sugary liquid adding even more to his hyperactivity. So eager is he for this meal that he damn near drinks the tree dry, his body fattening with sap. Finally giving the poor tree a break, Sokudo sighs contently at his more-than-full stomach before he allows himself to fall off the branch onto the soft, leafy ground with a grunt. Burping slightly as he rubs his distended belly, he decides that a nap would be a good way to digest such meal and he dozes off blissfully.

* * *

It is raindrops that wake him up.

Blinking, the Ninjask glances up at the sky as the droplets fall to the ground around him. Judging from his internal clock, it is the afternoon and he stretches out his limbs and wings before forcing himself to stand up from his leafy bed. He is back to his slim figure now, his high metabolism making short work of his sappy feast.

Taking off back into his element, he indulges in a quick game of dodging raindrops, winning easily and arriving back at the village without a single atom of water on his body. He is still thoroughly enjoying himself and he wonders what he should do now. Maybe go to the training gym and show off his ninja skills.

Or he could steal some ice cream from a Togepi. That works too.

The little egg didn't even know where her ice cream went, only that she was about to give the first lick when it literally vanishes right out of her stubby little hands. Looking about in confusion, she sees no trace of her ice cream and she plops onto her bottom and starts crying.

Snickering as he flies towards the training gym, Sokudo begins nomming on the ice cream, not even caring about the subsequent brain-freeze of eating it too fast. Nothing can ruin this day for him and not even the nagging thought of the Shedinja will bring him down. He never got to do any of this with that thing around, just stay cooped up in that bloody house.

Speaking of which, he oughta grab some groceries later, restock all the food he's been eating the past couple of weeks. It'll certainly be a fun way of seeing just how much he can get away with in his fully-evolved form...

And less than a few hours later, the store clerk at the Pokémart wonders where all his food went...

* * *

Nightfall is what finally puts a halt to Sokudo's fun. That and the fact that it's thundering again. But he didn't mind; to him, it seems fitting that Mother Nature started his official day of freedom and that it is Mother Nature that's bringing it to an end.

Arriving back to his house, he feels completely and utterly exhausted, but in a good way. This truly was the greatest day of his life and he already decided to make it a personal holiday to be celebrated every year. Flying through the messy living room and hallway into his bedroom, he hovers over his bed for a minute before closing his wings and flopping straight down into it. Bouncing a bit, he curls up on top of the blankets, turning off the lights before settling in.

His mind is a bit restless as he thinks over his day. He has finally gotten the opportunity to fly through the clouds, drink tree sap, and put his ninja skills to good (for him) use. Just as a Ninjask should. He wonders what lies in store for him tomorrow.

Before, he used to dread thinking ahead in such a way, as his imagination always conjured up more pain and fear due to the stupid floating husk. He can't help but wonder what is happening to it at this very moment. It's no doubt still stuck under that branch, crying to itself. Or maybe it's dead, finally crushed under the tree's weight.

He didn't know whether to smile at that thought or not.

Regardless, it is time for sleep and for the first time since evolving, he drifts off contentedly in the warm comfort of his own bed.

And it's only an hour later before a dark shadow arrives silently at his bedroom doorway...


	6. Chapter 6: Regret

**Author's Comment:** *insert anime sparkly eyes here* Wow, I never expected such a surge of attention! Thank you! Seeing as how I got multiple reviews for a chapter (yay!), I think I should reply to each individual (I like it when I read stories and the authors acknowledge their reviewers, and now I have the opportunity myself!) :D

**Mudkipster**, first, lemme just get it off my chest: I LOVE your penname and avatar! Did you make it yourself? And original? Me? Wow, thank you so much! I think there's quite a few stories with the Nincada line, so to hear mine stands out as original is AWESOME! And yeah, Sokudo is a major jerk to most everyone he meets. I think having the main protagonist be a goodie-good all the time would be boring! Now let's see how much he'll have to pay for it!

**calius**, thank you for taking the time to read all those chapters, and I'm glad you didn't think it was a waste of your time! And... amazing... 83 Excuse my over-enthusiasm (some people tell me the novelty of getting reviews will wear off, but in the meantime...), but that's one of the nicest things I've heard! My confidence as a writer is very low, and reading comment like that... Thank you! I hope I won't disappoint you! *hugs*

**Shadow Hunter**, unlike some authors I've seen, I'm not gonna exclude you just because you're anonymous! It's great to hear that you found the story interesting and I'll try my best to keep the interest level up for ya! I won't give away what'll happen in this chapter, so let's see hunch is correct!

* * *

Chapter 6: Regret

_He abandoned you... Left you to die. He doesn't care about you. Why should you care about him?_

Hovering silently by the door, just staring at the sleeping form of its brother, the Shedinja allows the rage-filled question to echo within its head. Despite the anger and disdain of that mental voice, it feels nothing inside. Not even the pain from its wings, which had gotten torn in several places when it finally succeeded in ripping free of the tree, are acknowledged. Only its brother and the voice exists; everything else is void and inconsequential. Slowly beginning to advance on the Ninjask and stopping just mere feet from the cicada, it watches Sokudo sleep peacefully, vulnerably, as another calmer voice in its head speaks up against the rage.

_He's your brother. You have to care for him, even if it's not mutual._

_What's the point?_ the previous voice snarls in response. _Don't waste your time on this insect. He's not worthy. Dispose of him._

_No. He doesn't understand. Give him another chance._

_He's had enough chances. You give him your life and he repays you by throwing you away like mere garbage. Let's show him the horrors of the Spirit World. Then maybe he'll 'understand' why you can't go back._

More black mist begins to pour from the husk's back, trailing slowly towards the Ninjask. Each ethereal tendril gently flows over Sokudo's exoskeleton, earning a shudder as the sleeping Pokémon curls up tighter against the cold. The Shedinja isn't put off however as it got its mist to gently, almost tenderly, flip the cicada onto his back, making him all the more vulnerable. But the husk does little else further, just watching. Its own thoughts on the entire matter are eerily silent, almost nonexistent as it absent-mindedly continues to caress its brother, allowing the two voices in its head to battle each other for control of its next course of action.

_Love him..._

_Hate him!_

_Forgive him..._

_Punish him!_

_Protect him..._

_Hurt him!_

_..._

_Kill him!_

_KILL HIM!_

At once, the black mist surges forward with violent purpose and wraps firmly around the sleeping Ninjask's throat. A strangled cry emerges from Sokudo as he jolts awake at the unpleasant freezing sensation cutting off a good chunk of his air supply. Unsure of what is happening, his wide eyes shoots up to see his attacker, horror flashing on his face when he sees what it is.

It can't be... It's supposed to be stuck under that tree, it's supposed to be dead!

Struggling instantly, he tries to claw at the black mist, only for his slashes to pass right through. Trying to pull away, he can't get anywhere as the grip is relentless. There is no getting out of this and he turns his pleading eyes to the Shedinja, putting what little air he can force into his lungs to use. "...No... I'm...sorry-ack!" His apologetic squeaks are silenced as the grip tightens completely, cutting off his oxygen entirely.

He can't even whimper as he stares at the husk, still struggling despite how useless it is proving. There is no growl from the ghost, no snarl, no hiss, nothing. Just a cold emotionless stare watching him as he suffocates. And those empty eyes will be the last thing he'll ever see in this world, he's sure of it. It isn't fair! He finally got to live his life for the very first time and now that life is about to be cut short.

And he can't even beg for mercy.

To his ever-increasing horror, blackness begins to line his vision and he thrashes around as frantically as he could, wings buzzing uselessly. But even that falls still as his body becomes increasingly unresponsive. Every motion is becoming more difficult, every thought growing fuzzier. His eyes go back to the Shedinja, hoping his final silent plea will be heeded before it's too late. But the grip is still firm and as unyielding as ever. Closing his eyes tight as he feels his numbing body give up on him, his mind gives one last fight to remain conscious before slipping into the cold embrace awaiting him.

_It's done._

"What...?" the Shedinja utters in response as it eases out of its vengeful daze. And the first thing it sees is its brother lying limp in its strangling grip. Unconscious, or... Immediately, the ghost releases its hold, the Ninjask falling back into the bed lifelessly. Staring silently at the body, the Shedinja floats closer to press tightly into his chest, unable to comprehend what just happened. It's like something else took over and now... Nuzzling into Sokudo's neck, it feels a single, almost undetectable pulse from within.

Wait...

Almost instantly, whatever miniscule spark of life remaining in Sokudo's body realizes the opportunity and gives said body a violent jerk. A gasp erupts from his mouth, the suddenness of it all startling the husk into backing off a bit. Coughing heavily, the cicada's revived corpse almost falls off the bed as it heaves for oxygen.

Calming down after a few minutes, the young insect is barely beginning to regain consciousness as he continues to recover from his brush with death. His eyes fluttering open just a bit, he's obviously disorientated as he looks about his room before seeing the Shedinja. He stares blearily, as if unable to comprehend what it is he's looking at, his body remaining unresponsive. In fact, his vision is starting to go black again and he falls unconscious once more.

Silence fills the room before the Shedinja again presses itself into its brother in a cuddle. But it didn't purr or coo or even whimper at what it's done. Instead, only a soft whisper breaks the quiet. "Sleep, brother. Sleep and forget..."

* * *

A soft groan is the only thing signaling his return to consciousness and it takes a minute for him to realize that it is him making the sound. Blearily opening his eyes, he tries to focus his vision, feeling a soft warm blanket over his body. He doesn't remember putting one on; the last thing he recalls is…

A small glass of water is being held in front of him by the familiar black mist and he stiffens. Gulping down a bit of air, his eyes follows the black mist to the Shedinja, whom is hovering just mere feet from him. Already his heart is pounding as his old fear returns…

"Drink," Comes the husk's whispering voice and Sokudo hesitates, his eyes darting back to the glass. No way is he going to drink anything this monster gives him, not after that murder attempt. That water is probably poisoned or something.

"I…" Sokudo clears his throat, his voice still raspy from his near-death experience and his terror is only making it worse. "I'm not… thirsty…"

He whimpers as the Shedinja growls, the living insect not really noticing how the growl sounds more desperate than angry, and issues are not made better when it shrieks out its words. "I SAID **DRINK**!"

Sokudo cringes back, wincing as his heart beats so much that it begins to hurt him physically. And then, for the very first time for as long as he could remember, he feels tears sting his eyes and he begins to sob uncontrollably, everything that's been happening finally catching up to him. And that is all there is for a long while before the Shedinja speaks again, its voice back to its child-like whisper.

"Why do you leak from the face?" It sounds almost fascinated.

Hearing this, Sokudo feels another huge wave of anger overtake his fear and sorrow and he glares at the shell as he finally lets it all out in a piercing shriek of his own. "I'M CRYING! WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?! YOU JUST MADE ME CRY LIKE A FUCKIN' **BITCH**! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!" Taking a shaky breath, he clutches at his head, his body stricken with shudders as he continues in a broken mutter. "I… I can't take this anymore… It's horrible… _you're_ horrible! Why're you doing this to me?! Why can't you leave me alone?!" He sniffles as he curls into himself in a fetal position, his wings wrapping around him protectively as his voice is further reduced to a mere whisper. "Why do you keep hurting me…?"

Silence hangs thick in the air, Sokudo closing his eyes tight as he waits for the Shedinja to lash out at him for the outburst. But to his surprise, he hears a soft clink and opens his eyes to see that the Shedinja has placed the water glass on the nightstand. The husk stares at him silently for a good long moment before speaking in a surprisingly gentle voice.

"I have no wish to harm you," it starts sympathetically. "I never _had_ wanted to harm you. I simply wish to love you, to protect you, as is the role of my kind. But your frequent rejection of me, of my advances, and your recent cruelty against me, in leaving me for dead... It is not making that possible. I admit to allowing my anger, my frustrations, to get the best of me."

"You..." Sokudo whispers under his breath, shaking as he still anticipates the shed to silence him. "You... tried to k-kill me..."

At this, it begins to whimper softly, its own body shaking as if it's crying too. "I wasn't myself... I... I wasn't thinking. And I beg your forgiveness for hurting you in such a way. Seeing you cry... I... I know now that doing all this, that losing myself in my anger and taking it out on you, won't get you to respect me. At least not the kind of respect I'm looking for."

More silence before the Shedinja inches a bit closer, Sokudo tensing noticeably at the small advance. Seeing his discomfort, it halts where it is, speaking as gently and as imploringly as it can manage. "Accept my presence, accept my guardianship, and accept my love and affection. Do this and I promise, I _swear_ on the very essence of my being, that no harm will ever befall you again. Please, brother... Give me a chance. I _know_ that I'll be able to do things right if you'll let me."

Nothing happens for a long moment as the Ninjask stares at the carapace warily, still expecting it to lash out. This thing did seem to be rather unpredictable in its mood swings and is obviously capable of flat-out murdering him if angered enough; he knows it wouldn't be wise to push his luck in saying no. And... And listening to the tone of sincerity in the Shedinja's words and pleas, he senses no real threat from it, at least not right now, and he takes another deep breath to calm himself down a little. He remembers, -it seemed like such a long time ago-, when he tried to talk this thing into leaving his home, and his life, forever. Well, now is another opportunity to talk, but perhaps with something different in mind...

Swallowing a bit, he feels his voice snag before he chokes out his words.

"Maybe…. Maybe we _can_ work something out…" He wipes the tears from his eyes, never taking his gaze from the Shedinja as he did so. "Look… I-I promise not to run away from you anymore, and I'll even try to make this…" He tries to find the right word, not used to doing this at all. "... feeling of yours mutual. Just give me some more time to get used to it; it's going to take a while." A firm look overtakes his features as he goes on with the most important point in this compromise. "In return, I want you keep that promise to stop hurting me. And I also want you to give me at least _some_ personal space. And to stop being so creepy." He looks straight into the emotionless eyes of the Shedinja, ignoring the resulting chill going up his exoskeleton. "Deal?"

A soft purr comes from the shed and Sokudo takes this as an agreement. He is about to relax when the creature moves closer to him, pressing itself against him in that oh-so-familiar cuddle. Sokudo is tense with blatant discomfort almost immediately, his still-tearful red eyes widening.

"Brooootherrrr…" it coos, shivering with pleasure at the physical contact.

"Aaaaaand, you're already breaking two of the three rules!"


	7. Chapter 7: Coming Together

**Author's Comment:** This is the final chapter for this story and... I'm sad... I've bonded with this story. But it's also opened the window for several other potential fics. But without further ado, time for review responses!

I'm ignoring that spam 'review'. Unfortunately, I don't know how to delete it... Onwards to someone who's actually important! :D

Yay, another (legit) review! Thanking you, **Mudkipster**! And goodie! Sokudo did his job of ruining any emotional moment! And yeah, the Shedinja is psycho, but at least it's _trying_ to be loveable and that's what really matters, right? (tries to ignore the dead bodies littering the place with the Shedinja holding a gun to my head) As for having a name, maybe ;) . And no, he isn't an ordinary Shedinja, but I'm not gonna give too much away!

* * *

Chapter 7: Coming Together

_"After all I've been through, going through hell and back, I can't believe I'm writing this, but... I guess having that zombie-ghost bug around isn't too bad... Wait, scratch that, I still prefer it not to be here, but I guess it's getting better after we had a nice long chat the other night. Yeah, we finally had that talk and it had only cost me my life (again, don't ask). _

_We've had a couple smaller talks afterwards, mostly some compromises. Like I managed to convince the Shedinja to let me go out on my own every so often and I also made it perfectly clear that I don't want it in my room without my permission. It took a while and the Shedinja obviously didn't like it, but it agreed... on one of its own conditions. Y'see, it wants to have what it calls 'Cuddle Sessions' at least twice a day... Ugh! I'm not the huggy-type at all and I tried to fast-talk my way out of it, but it said that it needs these cuddles, or it won't guarantee the safety of everyone around me... O_O_

_Well, at least it's honest..._

_So yeah, other than tiny little threats like that, everything's coming together. The Shedinja isn't hurting me anymore and is allowing me the freedom to enjoy being a Ninjask, I'm giving it its beloved attention (even if it's against my will), and we're both working out a daily routine. I just need to take care of a couple more things, then this whole arrangement will be as perfect as it'll get. In fact, I'm gonna take care of those things right now, before it gets too late in the day._

_Peace out. :) "_

Putting his pen down and closing the journal, Sokudo wastes little time in grabbing a long black cloth and leaving his room, searching for the husk. He still feels uncomfortable, but at least his fear has largely dissipated. Looking into the kitchen, he sees the Shedinja staring out the window before it catches sight of his movement. Turning to him, it purrs softly as the Ninjask flies closer, trying to keep its brother's unease at a minimum with the sound. And it seems to work as the Ninjask only tenses a little this time and doesn't even stutter.

"Hey, you gotta get a job." he tells it with no uncertain terms.

"Job?" the Shedinja replies, obviously confused as to what he means by this.

"Yeah, as in you work for pay. If you're gonna be staying in my house, you have to pull your own weight." Sokudo crosses his arms, trying to look firm. "So we're gonna get you registered to be a Rogue, like me."

"What's a Rogue?"

"We're like a Rescue team, in that we receive requests and missions and whatnot, and we do 'em for points and cash and stuff. Except, unlike the Rescuers, we're..." He tries to find a good way to explain it without making it sound too bad, just in case the Shedinja will object, however unlikely that would be. "... a bit more hazy on what's legal or not. Gunpowder puts it like 'we're stealing from the rich to give to the poor', or some shit like that."

"So we're criminals." Its voice holds no emotion in saying that and the Ninjask isn't sure if the ghost is on board with this or not.

"If that's how you choose to see it," Sokudo shrugs, his demeanor noticeably getting much more at ease the longer he speaks to it. "Then yeah. But it's all petty crimes, nothing big like murder or anything." His words then reduce themselves into a grumble. "Not like that'd bother you..." It is clear he hasn't completely gotten over what happened that dreadful night, nor does he plan to ever get over it. Still...

The Shedinja is silent, just staring at him as it thinks this over to itself. True to what Sokudo said under his breath, it isn't bothered with the prospect of hurting others as the only one that matters is its brother. And really the only point it can truly focus on is- "If I do this, does it mean I get to spend more time with you?"

At this, Sokudo takes a breath, holds it, then lets it out in a sigh. "Yeah... Unless you wanna go solo, you're going to be my partner."

"I will join then." the Shedinja chirrups to him eagerly, already heading for the door when Sokudo appears in front of it.

"Before we go," he states in an emphasizing tone, holding up the black scarf. "We have one more thing to take care of." He tries to fly behind the Shedinja, only for it to turn to face him as quickly as it can. Blinking, Sokudo tries again, only for the Shedinja to once more turn to him. He makes several more attempts, flying about in dizzying circles, before the floating husk speaks up worriedly.

"Brother, what're you doing?"

"I'm trying to stuff this into that hole of yours, but you keep moving!" Sokudo responds irritably. "I'm not gonna be responsible for any deaths you cause along the way."

"You can't," it mutters softly. "I can't control it, brother. If you look behind me, you'll be killed."

"I wasn't going to look." Sokudo tells it as he tries again, the Shedinja foiling his approach once more. Sighing in frustration, he looks over the husk, then at the scarf, then at the husk again. "Alright, fine. I'll reach around you. Hold still."

Indeed, the Shedinja stays stationary as Sokudo flies closer. Reaching around it, he feels very uncomfortable being this close to it and its pleasured purrs certainly didn't help. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he feels around the shell's back before he finds the soul-sucking hole. The black mist emerging from there twines gently around his claw, sending a chilling jolt up his arm, and he almost pulls away when he recalls that same chill being wrapped around his throat. But he holds firm and stuffs the scarf firmly in there.

The Shedinja flinches and whimpers as he did so, its black mist forced to remain in its body as Sokudo pulls away. "It's... The pressure... Too much... It hurts, brother."

"You'll get used to it," Sokudo tells it dismissively before heading for the door. "Now come on. I prefer to be there early since that stupid Ninetails always takes forever with his friggin' paperwork."

The Shedinja stays where it is for a few seconds, shuddering as it struggles to contain itself, before following after its brother as best it could with its discomfort.

* * *

"Can't you go any faster?" Sokudo hisses impatiently as he hovers in front of the door of the Registration building, glaring at his shed as it tries to hurry over. Without waiting for it to catch up, he turns to the door and raises a claw to knock when the door swings open, startling him. Standing there is a pale Ninetails with course fur, big piercing eyes that looks slightly crazed, and ink-tipped tails.

"Hello!" the fox greets in an obnoxiously cheerful voice.

"Dammit, Callahan! Will you stop giving everyone heart attacks?!" Sokudo growls as he calms down from his startled state. Hearing the Ninjask's voice and catching his scent, the Ninetails' ears perks in recognition and the grin on his face spreads.

"Ah, you must be Sokudo! I remember you!" Callahan chirps as he looks the bug over. "My goodness, how you've grown! No doubt you're capable of twice the destruction that you were as a little Nincada!" The Fire-type's huge eyes looks about as if searching for something. "Now where's your new brother- Oh! There he is!"

Indeed, the Shedinja finally catches up, still whimpering with great discomfort. But seeing Callahan, it instinctively snarls in defense of its brother, although the threat falls on deaf ears as the Ninetails holds the door wider for them, his voice still cheerful.

"I'm sure you both have plenty to tell! Come in! Come in!"

Sokudo rolls his eyes and flies inside, followed by the Shedinja, who makes sure to keep a safe distance as it floats passed the mangy Pokémon. Sokudo landing on the chair by the desk, he glances up as the Shedinja whispers softly to him.

"I don't like him, brother," the husk growls with its voice slightly strained from the pain it's still enduring, ignoring its brother's comment of "Join the club..." as it continues. "He can hurt us..."

"Cool it," the Ninjask mutters in as much of a reassuring tone as he's willing to provide. "He's insane, but harmless."

"So why don't we get things started!" Callahan starts, prancing by them to sit on the other side of the desk. Going through the files until he finds Sokudo's team papers, he pulls them out and sorts through them. Dipping one of his tails into a bottle of ink, he beams up at the two as he poises the tail ready to write. "Let's start in registering the newest member, shall we? I've always held an interest in your unique evolutionary line, but it's rare that a team actually has a Nincada as a member, much less a Ninjask. We do have several Shedinja members though." He tilts his head as he examines the ghost. "But I must admit, I've never seen a Shedinja with black mist coming out of it, how odd!"

At this, Sokudo looks towards his shed to see the black mist seeping from its eyes, giving it some relief from the pressure within, but it is obviously still in pain. Pain that it's not going to tolerate any longer. It hisses a bit in frustration, before one of the escaping tendrils reaches around it and yanks the cloth out, the rest of the mist flowing out without hesitation.

"Hey! I told you to leave it on!" the Ninjask reprimands.

"I know..." the Shedinja purrs with relief, not particularly caring of its brother discontent regarding its actions. Shaking his head, Sokudo crosses his arms as the Ninetails begins with the process.

"Alright, lad. How about sharing your name?"

"Name...?" the Shedinja asks.

"Ah, so this is your first time in this world and are without a name!" Callahan states matter-of-factly. "Surely, your brother has given you one!"

Hearing this, the Shedinja looks to its brother, its voice curious. "What's your name, brother?"

The Ninjask is a bit hesitant; all this time, he never shared his name with the husk, mostly out of spite. But now that everything's worked out, he reluctantly has to admit that he has no reason to withhold it any longer. Still, his answer comes out as a reluctant grumble. "Sokudo."

The shed seems satisfied as it turns to Callahan. "Then my name's Sokudo too."

"That's not how it works, jackass." Sokudo hisses at it indignantly, the Ninetails across from them unable to keep a small chuckle from escaping his throat. "You need your own name. Besides, mine means 'speed' and that's the last thing you have." Seeing it stare at him expectantly, he sighs before thinking to himself. He's never named another Pokémon before. "We need a good name for you, one that describes you perfectly... How about..." He looks to the Shedinja. "Kowai? ... Your name is Kowai now."

"Kowai..." the Shedinja whispers to itself, running the word through its head repeatedly. "Kowai... What does that one mean?"

"It's a Japanese word for scary, creepy." Callahan states before his grin grows wider across his muzzle. "Indeed, a very fitting name for a Ghost-type like yourself."

"What the hell is a 'Japanese'?!" Sokudo growls irritably, as it isn't the first time the Ninetails used such strange foreign words, like 'French' and 'Canada' and 'Christopher Walken'. But like always, he gets no answer as the fox writes Kowai's new name onto the paper before carrying on.

"Gender?"

"I don't have one." the Shedinja informs him tonelessly.

"Yes, but plenty of genderless Pokémon prefer to be called one or the other." the Fire-type tells it. "Which would you like?"

Kowai makes no response, just staring at Callahan silently before Sokudo speaks up.

"I just call it an 'it', so just go along and whatever..." The Ninjask gives a dismissive wave of his claw and Callahan flicks his ear before giving in and writing it down. Then his grin returns as his enthusiasm builds up.

"Now my favorite part! Please, tell me about yourself, young Shedinja. And please, make it entertaining. I don't get paid to do this job, you know!"

"I'm a spirit in an empty shell whose purpose is to love and protect my brother." Kowai again says in a toneless voice. Allowing a small chuckle from his mouth, Callahan waves his paw.

"Yes, yes, but I'm much more interested in your pre-mortal existence in the Spirit World. Do tell!" the canine encourages eagerly.

Almost immediately, Kowai freezes with great reluctance. It looks towards its brother before thinking things over very thoroughly. And then, it gives a soft whisper where both Sokudo and Callahan had to strain their hearing to catch. "I don't wish to share that..."

"Why not?" Callahan asks in a teasing tone. "It's confidential if you wish."

Again, Kowai gives a quick glance to its brother before continuing in its almost-incoherent mutter. "No... I... I don't want my brother thinking any differently of me..."

"How can I think differently of you?" Sokudo asks pointedly. "I already think you're creepy as hell, so how can it get worse?"

"You might abandon me..."

"Are we still on that?!" Sokudo exclaims in disbelief, rolling his eyes in blatant frustration. "Look, I already promised not to run away so long as you don't hurt me. I'll admit to being an asshole, but I don't break my promises. Nothing you say is going to change that."

Silence takes place between the trio before Kowai finally speaks, forcing out its words with surprising effort. "Brother... What... what do you think of... Spiritombs...?"

"Uh..." Sokudo blinks at this random question. "I don't really get what that has to do with anyth-"

"Please, just answer me, brother..."

"Well..." Sokudo only needs to think for a few seconds before shrugging. "They're evil fucks that I wouldn't really want to associate with."

"Exactly why I don't wish to say anything more." Kowai replies shakily before looking back to Callahan, speaking more firmly now. "I'm not sharing. Respect my wishes." Judging from the increase of the mist's flow, the Shedinja is very serious about this and the Ninetails decides not to push.

Sighing almost in disappointment, Callahan nods before filling out a few more sections on his own before sliding the papers towards Kowai. "Just give your signature there, and we'll be done with your registration." Looking at the paper, the husk glances at its brother, who nods his approval. Taking a pen in its ethereal grip, it signs along the dotted line before the multi-tailed fox takes the paper back and tucks the file in with its fellows. Turning to Sokudo, he slides another paper forward. "This is a sheet stating that you've evolved. Just sign along the bottom, if you may."

The Ninjask takes the pen from his shed before looking it over briefly. Giving his signature, he returns the file, narrowing his eyes irritably as Callahan smirks at him.

"Now, I know for a fact that _you_ have quite a tale to tell. Gunpowder's been so kind as to share some details, but I would love to hear the whole thing firsthand." He laughs a bit, his piercing eyes sparking a bit. "Come now, I'm getting bored."

Not particularly inclined to share, but knowing that the registrar's unlikely to let them leave without giving him an interesting story or two, Sokudo sighs as he starts getting comfortable in his chair. Finally settling down after a bit, he speaks wearily, knowing they could be here a while.

"Fine, I'll start at the beginning..."

THE END


End file.
